“Eureka” – the Skydeck is back, and she’s got a new name, a new look, and some amazing new features. Just wow!
As she wakes from her COVID slumber, Melbourne Skydeck, formerly the Eureka Skydeck, is back better than ever after a multi-million-dollar redevelopment and the addition of several new attractions.
The highest observation platform in the Southern Hemisphere, this iconic city centre attraction now boasts the largest virtual reality theatre of its kind in the world, and the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The Melbourne Skydeck Voyager Theatre has 24 Positron chairs showing a bespoke film that takes guests through 16 iconic Melbourne and Victorian experiences. The film features stunning scenery shot in Super 8K high definition, complemented by sounds, scent and movement and accompanied by a score by local music legends Felix Riebl and Ollie McGill of The Cat Empire.
Visitors get to rise up over the city via helicopter then virtually ride Luna Park’s historic wooden rollercoaster, smell freshly roasted coffee as they explore Melbourne’s laneways, enjoy the action of the Australian Open from a courtside seat at Rod Laver Arena, be right in the action at the footy, feel crisp ocean air on their face as they swoop over the Great Ocean Road and more. Mama absolutely loved it and may have let out a little squeal as the carriage crested the top of Luna Park’s historic railway!
For an even closer look at the city, outside the theatre is a really cool augmented reality 1:1100 3D scale model of Melbourne showcasing eight periods of its development, from pre-settlement through to the future.
The model comes alive via a new Melbourne Skydeck app, for Android and iPhone, which also includes a virtual treasure hunt of 31 hidden markers. Guests who find, scan and unlock all can claim a Melbourne Skydeck gift on departure.
Of course the real hero is when you rise to the top at the 88th floor of the Eureka Tower and take in that stunning view at almost 300m about our city. This truly is the crown of Melbourne, shining in all her 24k gold plated glory.
The new Bar 88, with 360° panoramic views all day and night, is perfect to enjoy all of Melbourne’s legendary views with a delicious snack and cool drink. Run by the Eureka 89 team they serve up a range of sophisticated delights including Pacific oysters, a seasonal cheese plate, or spanner crab roll, complimented by cocktails, fine wines or a glass of Bollinger Champagne.
Guests will still be able to test their nerve on the Edge, the world-first transparent cube suspended almost 300 metres above Melbourne’s streets, as well as walk THE PLANK, a virtual reality experience that ends with a thrilling virtual plunge and zipline ride. Guests get an exciting perspective of our beloved city and surrounds from its highest observation deck.
“Skydeck has cemented its place as one of Melbourne’s best attractions, but we wanted to take it to the next level, to give our guests a deeper, more immersive and entertaining experience and the ability to explore Melbourne from different perspectives.”
Mark Shaw, General Manager
The team drew on Melbourne’s best designers, VR specialists, academics, historians, story tellers and musicians, and of course, one of our best chefs, to create a series of incredible immersive experiences that are as thrilling and surprising as they are fascinating and informative. The result has encapsulated Melbourne in a nutshell, taking everything we love about our city, all of the great stories and facts and showcased it in an innovative and exciting way that everyone from kids to grandparents will love.
What’s new at Melbourne Skydeck:
Virtual Reality Voyager Theatre
The largest of its kind in the world and first in the Southern Hemisphere, the Voyager Theatre has 24 award-winning Positron Voyager Virtual Reality chairs that take guests on an 11-minute immersive journey through 16 iconic Melbourne and Victorian experiences seen from perspectives never before possible.
The 360-degree voyage includes Melbourne’s laneways, festivals and sporting events, as well as some of Victoria’s most stunning scenery in Super 8K high definition. The chairs feature movement, vibrations, and scents, from the aroma of freshly roasted coffee to roses in the Melbourne Cup winners’ circle to the smell of crisp ocean air above the Great Ocean Road.
A bespoke soundtrack by Melbourne music legends Felix Riebl and Ollie McGill of The Cat Empire complements the experience in the Positron Voyager chair, the first designed for fully immersive cinematic virtual reality. A plush, lounge-style seat sits in a gleaming, futuristic shell featuring precision engineering.
Augmented Reality 3D Melbourne Model
A finely detailed augmented reality 3D model of Melbourne built to a 1:1100 scale. Six digital tablets around the model provide interactive windows into eight of Melbourne’s most significant eras; from pre-settlement to 1836 settlement, then into 1880, 1920, 1980, 2020 and beyond. It took four printers 240 days to create the 184 pieces of the model, and 40 3D augmented reality models were created to overlay the installation. Data, including information about boundaries and land ownership, was interpreted by Monash University architecture professor Dr Tom Morgan and is incorporated in the central file, making it the most deeply detailed 3D model of Melbourne anywhere. The backdrop to the display is a giant screen showcasing the development and stories of Melbourne.
Melbourne Skydeck App
Available for both Android and iPhone, the app allows users to find, scan and unlock 31 hidden Melbourne landmarks and international towers throughout the exhibit. Unlocking all 31 earns the visitor a prize on exit. Users can connect to Melbourne Skydeck’s free Wi-Fi.
Bar 88
A cool and classy full-function bar run by the Eureka 89 fine dining team, featuring Champagne Bollinger. The Bar 88 window-ledge seating around the deck and intimate seating areas are all designed to take advantage of the world class 360-degree view with a bar menu designed by award-winning Eureka 89 executive chef Renee Martillano. The launch of Bar 88 finally gives Melbourne the iconic venue this internationally loved city deserves.
Visiting Melbourne Skydeck:
Open 7 days a week, Monday – Sunday, 12pm-10pm (last entry 9.30pm)
7 Riverside Quay, Southbank, Victoria, Australia, 3006
Skydeck Experience
Child: $19.50
Concession: $27.00
Adult: $29.50
Virtual Reality Voyager Theatre
Child: $11.50
Concession: $13.00
Adult: $14.00
Edge
Child: $9.50
Concession: $13.00
Adult: $14.00
Plank
Child: $6.50
Concession: $7.00
Adult: $8.00
Find out more at www.melbourneskydeck.com.au
